


Carte Blanche

by writingtoreachyou



Category: Suits (US TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2019-02-15 12:48:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13031457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingtoreachyou/pseuds/writingtoreachyou
Summary: I've taken this year's Secret Santa quite literally and written a story about a Pearson Hardman Secret Santa.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note to my giftee Sosauffie:  
> I'm a huge fan of your fiction and I hope you'll like this. Since we both share a liking for this one band, I thought I'd throw in a little bit of a gimmick for you there, enjoy! To get yourself in the mood for the story and have a bit of an interactive experience, click on [this youtube clip and start reading the story :) ](https://youtu.be/yCJvnwaW6ks)

_”On a Christmas day, early in the beginning of this century  
Down the road and there, I saw many sights that day”_

Mike sat in front of his computer, blasting his favorite Christmas carol on full volume, happy to have the bullpen all to himself for a change. It was late and everyone had called it a day but he had promised Harvey to find the loophole in the contract from the Gatrick Inc. case by the end of the week and they had bombarded them with tons and tons of files that were currently stashed in Conference Room C, waiting to be examined. He couldn’t disappoint Harvey - ever since he had started working for him this summer, he had felt the need to work hard to keep up with him. Despite his outward bragging about his special mind and his ability to think outside the he was still hiding insecurities on the inside. He wanted to impress Harvey - prove that he was worth the hassle, risk and money.

Lost in thoughts, Mike sucked on a highlighter and went through yet another paragraph, when he suddenly stared straight into a bucket shoved under his nose. He put the lid on the pen and looked up, surprised to see Donna at this ungodly hour, wearing a Christmas hat. She wrinkled her nose and asked slightly irritated, “What’s that dreadful noise?! You can hardly call that music… Pick one…”

He quickly assessed the situation: Bucket. Folded paper. Christmas hat. - Really? Secret Santa at the most prestigious legal firm in the country? It was almost cute - Mike had definitely not seen that one coming. He was a bit worried about whom he would draw - Pearson Hardman was huge and after all these months, Mike still did not nearly know even half of the staff…

“That _’dreadful noise’_ as you call it is by the best band in the century,” Mike pointed out enthusiastically and reached into the bucket.

“...which is? ...and certainly doesn’t sound that way.”

“Arcade Fire, of course!” Mike shook his head in disapproval. How could anyone not know that? “Yes, they may be a little drunk on that recording. That makes it twice as brilliant, you see. They sing about consumerism and the fact that Christmas isn’t really about love but spending money. That it’s all fake and filled with pressure and the desire to be perfect. At the same time, they all sing and play charmingly off-tune… It’s a perfect divergence of words and sounds.”

Donna smirked joyfully and pointed at the bucket, “Well, fanboy, I rest my case. To me it sounds more like an embarrassing boozy session recorded for all eternity. But since it’s about Christmas, I guess it’s the perfect song choice for the occasion… Don’t tell me who you got! If you got me: I really like handbags - not that you could afford those, plus they definitely exceed the limit - but theater tickets are always a good bet.”

Mike shook his head, “Donna, you’re ruining all the fun! If I draw you, I won’t get you theater tickets, that’s for sure…”

He shuffled the pieces of paper a little before picking one. He unfolded it and read the name, feeling heat rush to his face when realization hit him that out of every possible person in this company, he had drawn Harvey. He quickly tore the paper into a million little pieces and tried to maintain a neutral facial expression.   
Stay cool.   
Why was his heart racing like this? This was good, right? A chance.  
Mike briefly squinted his eyes together, trying to will that thought away. It would never happen…

When the trumpet part blasted out of his speakers, Donna grabbed the bucket, “Oh my God, I need to get out of here; this will haunt me in my sleep!” She hurried towards the elevators and turned around once more, “Almost forgot the rules: Limit is 100 bucks, it’s due the afternoon of our office’s Christmas party and no swapping! The donee remains the donee at any rate. It’s fate and all that yadda yadda.” She waved comically with her free hand and pulled a funny face before she left him alone with his thoughts and Arcade Fire’s idea of a Christmas song.

Harvey.

_Fate, huh?_

***

What a devious piece of shit! Harvey triumphantly closed the folder on his desk and leaned back in his chair, lacing his hands behind his head. He enjoyed these moments when hard work paid off. They had worked on this case for weeks. Many pizzas with cheese in the crust had been ordered for Mike - the kid in the (more or less) men’s clothes. Way too little time had been spent at his condo. AT some point it had crossed his mind to invite the rookie over to continue working at home. Harvey was a very private person; he usually wouldn’t even consider that option but in this case, he oddly enough would have made that exception without hesitation. Something had stopped him nevertheless, it just had felt inappropriate, so in the end they had rather camped inside this office and not seen the light of day for the longest time.

Harvey reached for his phone and was about to press his speed dial #2 to share the great news with his associate, when Donna entered the office in a ridiculous looking Santa outfit and a joyous expression on her face that could only mean trouble.

“I have no time for this, Donna,” Harvey tried to nip any sort of Christmas craziness in the bud. He hated the season, maybe he was a bit of a Grinch in that aspect but it always reminded him of the family he didn’t have. There was nobody waiting at home, no wife or husband, no child. Therefore, he had spent more than one Christmas Eve right here, working, plotting a tactical move rather than driving to see his brother who would gather the family around the Christmas tree. Marcus’ idea of family included the one person Harvey could happily do without for the rest of his life - his mother. She had done so much harm and caused them all so much pain; he didn’t understand how his little brother could welcome her in his arms again after all they’d been through. He wasn’t as forgiving and if that meant spending the holidays on his own, then so be it. 

“I fear you will have to make the time, grumpy man,” Donna replied excessively cheerfully and bashed her eyelids. He hated it when she did that because he still had a bit of a soft spot for her, more like a sister than anything else but just like caring, soft spots were for losers.

Harvey exhaled exasperatedly and rolled his eyes, purging his lips, “Alright. What do you want?”

“Resistance is futile, young Padawan,” Donna winked and entered the office determinedly, shaking something in a red bucket.

“One is Star Trek, the other…”

“...Star Wars, yeah, I know. Believe it or not but I have seen a movie or two in my life. I may not be Mike Ross but you still might be surprised… Anyway, I’m here on an important mission: Secret Santa. It’s that time of year…”

Harvey shook his head in amusement, “Since when have we known each other exactly? Have you ever seen me joining that stupid Yule Club tradition? – So before you waste any more of my precious time with sentimentalities, I have to talk to Mike about the case.”

“Of course you do…” Donna replied smugly and thoroughly enjoyed herself as she pointed out, “You do know that as a partner you are expected to take part in this, right?”

Harvey’s smile froze. In the back of his head, he remembered having read something along this line in one of the mails a couple of years back. He had chosen to ignore it but now his secretary slammed it right in his face.

“You gotta be kidding me,” he mumbled and reached for that bucket, “Give me that damn thing already…”

“Just to be clear,” she grinned widely now, “I’m not going to help you buy a gift, no matter whose name is on that piece of paper. But if it’s me…”

“I know. Handbag. Theater….” Harvey grumbled in discontent. He randomly grabbed a piece and shoved the bucket back into Donna’s hand, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a phone call to make.”

Harvey shooed Donna out of the room and tossed the slip onto his desk, immediately forgetting about it.

_Right. Speed dial #2._


	2. Chapter 2

Eight days, that was all Mike had left to figure out an appropriate gift that didn’t seem too personal but also not indifferent. He didn’t like the look of disappointment on Harvey’s face when things didn’t go his way and after all these months and with that brain of his, he was pretty sure that Harvey would expect the best of him. He had millions of memories to choose from after all. Still he came up empty repeatedly - mostly due to the stupid 100 buck limitation.

Harvey’s taste was expensive; everybody knew that. Had he drawn someone like Rachel for example, he could have bought an expensive bottle of wine and a tasting package of cheeses or something like that. Even Louis was easily satisfied - Mike was sure he could have found something for his cat within the limit. Harvey on the other hand was quite something quite different. One bottle of his favorite scotch exceeded the spending limit multiple times. His place was impeccable, the art cost more than Mike made in a month.

“Which case gives you such a headache?” Harold asked with his ever-present slightly pained facial expression that made him appear like a little boy on a school trip, far away from home and scared of the other kids.

“Secret Santa,” Mike admitted and turned his chair a little to look at his colleague.

“Oh!” Harold raised his eyebrows and revealed, “I got Donna! She wants theater tickets but I have no idea which plays she likes…”

“You’re spoiling all the fun! It’s Secret Santa, dude!!!” Mike complained and shook his head in disbelief. He should have known… Such a typical Harold thing to do! Then he sighed and helped him anyway, “She’s into the classics. Shakespeare anytime.”

“Wow, thanks, man… Maybe I can help you out with yours…?” Harold’s face lit up and he started typing something on his keyboard, most likely to check availabilities.

“Thanks for the offer but I fear I’m alone on this one,” Mike grimaced and got up. He couldn’t think here. Too many people, too much noise. 

He walked down the hall, playing back all conversations he’d had with Harvey recently. Once more he realized how secretive his boss was. He didn’t talk much about his family or any other private affairs. Mike had revealed almost everything to him by now, his failures, his fears, stories about his parents… He knew that he was wearing his heart on his sleeve but right now he wished that it hadn’t only been him sharing his thoughts and memories. He made a mind note to ask Harvey more about himself from now on.

When Mike passed the elevator, the door opened and Harvey ran straight into him, “Good to see you, rookie, our counter offer for Johnsson Construction just fell through, we need to work on a new strategy. Follow me; I’ll let you in on the details before our conference call.”

***

Harvey had lost all sense of time over this particular draft but now his head was starting to swim. He rubbed his tired eyes and looked out the window. The season did its best to kill the last bit of good mood he had left; it was snowing, cold and windy and everybody was jittery and joyful. It was difficult to handle and more than once, he had considered just taking a plane some place warm and spend Christmas and New Year’s with like-minded people. There had to be others just like him…

When he managed to focus on his document again, he realized that he had forgotten a very important zero in the counter-offer, so he put his laptop aside and started cleaning up his desk instead. It was a lot messier than usual and he would have liked to blame the rookie, but if he was honest, his head hadn’t been quite there lately - maybe he should start taking vitamin D again, his mood was hard to deal with. The chaos in front of him reflected his internal well-being. He usually wasn’t a very moody person but around Christmas, the loneliness tended to creep up on him and he customarily fought it back with a couple of glasses of scotch.

Harvey sorted the files from the won Gatrick case and opened the file box on the floor that Donna had started filling before he kicked her and her cheerful mood out earlier. He archived a couple of documents when a slip slid out of one of the files and slowly glided to the floor.

_Christ._

Without hesitation, he knew exactly what that was. The stupid Yule Club bullshit he needed to take part in this year. Since he usually declined, he had completely forgotten about it the moment Donna had left the office and now he only had eight more days to go. He bent down and picked it up to unfold it. _Yeah, good one, Specter, you don’t even know yet who you drew; how on earth are you supposed to find something within a little more than one week?_ The name that stared right back at him, made him chuckle softly. Of course it would be him….

Knowing Donna, she had probably filled the bucket with a dozen of papers that all read “Mike Ross” to nudge him in the right direction. She knew about his little obsession - working so closely together, of course she would; all the little bits and pieces, all those tiny remarks were quite a give-away.

For any other giftee, Harvey would have bought something with little or no thought at all, possibly ironic, maybe a “Die Hard” collector’s edition because everyone knew that Christmas was incomplete without Bruce Willis. Alternatively, some ugly Christmas jumper that ordinary people found _adorable_. However, this was Mike. The man with the bleeding heart. A hopeless romantic, despite everything that he had been through in his life, the most positive person Harvey had ever met. Someone who had made his own existence so much less miserable. Even though Mike liked to talk about his childhood and the things that were going on in his life, Harvey wanted to make sure that he was prepared. He was the best closer in the city, wasn’t he? And he couldn’t lose this case…

“Mike, good, you’re still here! I have thought about your approach for the Mercury Sanitas case. Let’s discuss your strategy if you don’t have any plans, we don’t have any time to waste,” Harvey summoned his associate over even though they still had all the time they needed on their hands. Mercury Sanitas was closed for business over the holiday season and would only reopen in January - but Harvey was on a mission.

When Mike opened the door, Harvey briefly smiled at him and got up from his desk chair, offering him the couch. It would be easier to learn more about him when they were in a little less formal setting. He sat down opposite Mike who confidently lay down on the sofa, legs crossed, head propped comfortably against the armrest. He looked at Harvey and grinned, “This must be a first…”

“What must be?” Harvey smiled back at him, trying to figure out if he had done or said anything suspicious that could possibly give him away.

“You asked me if I had any plans… Usually, you just assume I live for the firm.”

“Well, you do, I basically own you,” Harvey grinned widely now and poured them both drinks, “It’s in the fine print.”

“I read the fine print and am well aware of the reality of our agreement - but your request is usually a little more subtle.”

“Subtle? Me?” Harvey snorted and handed one glass to Mike before he asked him to share his strategy. When he enthusiastically explained his idea of an approach, Harvey listened tentatively and watched him closely. Mike had become so at ease around him. Within half a year, he had gone from sometimes still nervous and on the edge to confident and relaxed, and Harvey liked it. Yes, he still challenged him a lot but they felt like partners and a good team. He watched Mike grow every single day – and it made him very proud.

“So you believe that we should give them five per cent of the shares?” Harvey asked to show interest, when in fact he had just used the case as an excuse to talk to Mike for a while.

“It expresses our good intention and distracts them from our next move,” Mike nodded and took a sip while he half lay, half sat on the couch.

“Careful rookie, both the couch and the drink were expensive!” Harvey pointed out but he trusted Mike and was just messing with him. He sank a little into the chair, swirled the liquid in his own tumbler before asking, “How come you’re still at the office at this ungodly hour?”

“I was just finishing up when you called. But have you looked outside? That snow storm wasn’t the most appealing prospect to bike through… I thought I’d come here to enjoy some of your precious Macallan and the view before you kick me out to do whatever you do here when you’re on your own,” he smirked and raised an eyebrow.

“I have no idea what you think I’m doing here but it’s hard work.”

“I bet it is,” Mike grinned contently to himself and Harvey seized his chance, “Shouldn’t you be out there purchasing Christmas gifts for… whatshername?”

“Jenny? History. This will be the cheapest Christmas in the history of Christmases, 100 dollars for Secret Santa and 15 for pizza and a beer,” Mike shrugged. It was supposed to come out indifferent and quirky but Harvey didn’t buy it.

“What about your grandma, won’t she want a gift when you come to see her?” he asked as casually as possible. Harvey knew that she wasn’t doing overly well at the moment and something deep inside told him that Mike also was very aware that this could be their last one together.

Mike smiled gently, “I made her a photo album with her favorite places in town. To help her remember. The head is slowly growing tired, if you know what I mean. I did that all through the year, so it’s not gonna be something I need to buy anymore, it’s pretty much done. We will meet for an hour or two, that’s all she can handle at the moment…”

Harvey nodded seriously. It occurred to him only now how lonely Mike’s life had to be without his parents, his grandmother and his friends who he abandoned when he started working for the firm. He took another sip of his drink and tried to fight the guilty conscience he felt knowing that he had taken away Mike’s only friend by demanding he should cut him loose.

“It sounds like a very thoughtful gift, Mike, I’m sure she’ll love it,” Harvey replied with a smile and put down his glass.

“How about you? Did you ask Donna to do your Christmas shopping?” Mike grinned widely now and Harvey laughed, “You really think I would do that? … alright… fair point, it is something I would do.”

“So did you?”

“No, of course not. I sent Marcus gifts from the kids’ wishlist…”

“You’re not going to see them?”

“No,” Harvey replied short-spoken. He loved listening to Mike talking about himself, learning about his life but he was so used to shutting people out that he had forgotten how to share his own thoughts.

“You should go on a holiday. Bahamas, Cuba or something. I know how much you hate this weather,” Mike replied warmly. He managed to surprise him time and time again. Maybe he had already sneaked way further into Harvey’s life than he had noticed…

“Can’t. Too much work, too much representational shit to deal with, client Christmas parties to attend…”

“Yeah… you either have the time to go or the money, don’t you?” Mike replied and looked out the window.

“Your grandma will be glad you’re home, Mike,” Harvey felt the urge to say. He suddenly had an idea. He wasn’t sure yet it was the right thing to do but the way he saw it now, he had nothing to lose.


	3. Chapter 3

_’rent palm trees nyc’_ BINGO! Mike’s eyes lit up. 1.5 million results. Who would have thought that there was such desperate need? He had crossed the fairy lights off his list about ten minutes ago, right after the deck chairs. Now he was sorting out the plant situation, even though he had no idea how to get the stuff up that balcony without destroying any of the exquisite interior of the condo but that was something he could worry about as soon as Harvey had accepted his gift and liked the idea. - And if he didn’t, it was at least worth the hassle to see the look on his face.

He looked through the options and chose three trees that looked nice up there, entered his credit card details and stared at the screen once he had finished the transaction, a little unbelieving that he really did this. Yes, it was a little cheesy and very much stolen from “White Collar” but he doubted very much that Harvey found the time to binge watch anything but the stock market figures (apart from the uncountable amount of reruns of Star Trek of course).

For a moment, Mike considered throwing in a barbecue as well but, given that he even managed to fuck up pasta, he went for Cuba Libre instead, one of the few cocktails he managed to throw together and which, if he went for an entire Cuban theme, would fit nicely into the mix. He finished his purchase, checked his list and felt a sense of relief filling his system. Mike hadn’t noticed just how badly he had wanted to come up with an idea that would appeal to Harvey and even though he wasn’t sure that this was it, it was something heartfelt and special. Even though the rational part of his brain knew that they could never be more than friends, he at least wanted to give it a shot. Just this once. It was fate - and maybe said fate tried to tell him something that he had chosen to ignore for way too long.

Harvey was single. Moreover, he had dated men before, that’s what Mike had gathered from the very few remarks he had made about his private life. There had been the occasional “my partner” combined with an unintentional “he” once or twice and Mike’s interest had been piqued even though he had pretended not to notice. 

Mike, on the other hand, had never been with a man. Not really anyway. He had kissed a boy in high school as part of a bet and liked it more than he would have let on but that had been the only time he had come this close to another male person. Still he knew. Had always known. Although he had been into men before, girls had always dominated his life and he hadn’t felt like missing out. Until he had met Harvey.

It baffled him why Harvey wasn’t dating anyone. He was charming, intelligent and funny. Of course Pearson Hardman took up the majority of his time. The firm was so important to Harvey, it always came first and that automatically meant that his personal life came second. Still there had to be more to his lack of attachment that was bordering fear. Mike had a feeling that it had to do with his family… his past… but he didn’t know him well enough yet to ask. He just wished that one day they would be close enough.

Done. For now at least.  
Mike turned off his computer and put on his coat, the Christmas party was around the corner and now that he had come up with the perfect gift, he couldn’t wait.

***

Mike Ross.  
Mike. Ross.  
MIKEROSS.

Harvey was at a bit of a loss. Of course he wouldn’t contact Donna for this one, she would be way too pleased to see him struggle figuring out the perfect gift for Mike. Donna wasn’t stupid of course, but Harvey didn’t feel like drawing her attention to the obvious more than absolutely necessary. He knew that Mike would be alone for Christmas and the prospect gave him a nasty feeling in the gut. The rookie wasn’t the kind of person to do well on his own on a day like that and he would most likely end up in a lot of trouble.

So what to do…

Dinner and a movie? Definitely sounded a hell of a lot like a date to him.

Just movie? Not enough space to talk and finally get to know one another properly.

Just dinner? Too much space to talk.   
Maybe.   
Maybe not.   
Maybe just the right amount. 

He could always make it a dinner invitation and if things went well, they could watch a movie and… Well. In his mind, he had plenty of ideas what might ensue but, as far as he knew, Mike was straight. Then again… Harvey could be quite convincing. He grinned softly to himself.

What did Mike eat apart from fast food? It would be so easy to impress him. If anything could be the game changer in their relationship, then a proper dinner that would blow his mind could be it. Harvey wouldn’t go for something traditionally Christmassy, mostly because he had cooked this kind of dishes way too few times to be good at them.   
Vietnamese?  
Chinese?   
Mexican?   
Harvey got up, grabbed one of his cooking books from the shelf and flicked through it. Nothing really screamed “Mike” but then again that was the point, right? He could always flip some burgers but that wasn’t what this was all about… Hell, he should just open the book at a random page and cook whatever presented itself to him. Fate and all that (not that he believed in any of that nonsense).

Okay. Let’s do this. Harvey closed his eyes and shook his head at his own stupidity but desperate times called for desperate measures. He ran his thumb along the edges of the pages and felt the slight air movement on his face, counting slowly to three before he stopped at a page somewhat in the middle.

“Filet Mignon”

Harvey laughed. His book definitely liked the idea of him getting laid this Christmas. If anything screamed “candlelight dinner”, it was this one. _Well done, buddy!_

Maybe it would be wise to make this “best out of three”.   
Harvey was about to start round two but stopped and thought about his endeavor. What if Mike didn’t like the idea of coming over for dinner at all but found it completely intimidating? What if he considered this harassment? Harvey was his senior after all and maybe he would be too scared to decline. Mike didn’t strike him as that kind of person, but Harvey knew how much his job helped him to support his grandmother - he might do something he wouldn’t normally agree on doing. It was very unlikely but still a possibility.

No. Harvey couldn’t do this. Some kind of wishful thinking had taken over for a moment and he had completely lost his mind. He sighed. Maybe he could figure out a way to make sure he wasn’t alone for Christmas without turning it into some fancy big dinner to get into his pants… 

So. Back to square one. What else did Mike like?

Bikes. A poster of a bike. A new helmet. A new lock.

Weed. Okay, not an option.

Back to movies. Too obvious. Still way too obvious. And back to the point: They wouldn’t be able to talk, plus it might seem like a date night.

Tickets to see Arcade Fire! Great idea! Harvey quickly made his way to his laptop on the couch table and did a Google search. Perfect gift, within the limit, personal but not overly so. Thoughtful. He congratulated himself - until he realized that the band didn’t tour any time soon.

“Goddamnit!!!” Harvey exclaimed in frustration and slammed the laptop shut.  
So. Close!


	4. Chapter 4

Judgment day. Today would be his very first Christmas party with Pearson Hardman and he was nervous because he still felt like he didn’t belong in a room with them. He was a fraud and social gatherings like this one were very likely to expose him.

However, that wasn’t what worried him most. All he could think of was if his gift for Harvey was inappropriate. What if he had misjudged their friendship and invaded his private space? What if he didn’t want to spend Christmas with anybody and preferred to sit at home with a glass of wine and listen to his dad’s records? 

He held the postcard of Cuba in his sweaty palm and looked at it skeptically. This could be his ticket to hell… But it was too late, he didn’t have a plan B, so he slid the postcard into an envelope, closed it and wrote “Harvey Specter” on it, added a little “Ho Ho Ho” and glued a small Santa onto the back that worked like a seal. For a second, he considered including a warning along the line of “open in private”, knowing Harvey, he wouldn’t lower his guard anyway by revealing his reaction for everyone to see. 

Mike put the envelope into the big basket of gifts and looked at the other items that were waiting for their recipients - mostly envelopes with what Mike assumed were vouchers for department stores, perfumeries and at least one set of theater tickets (presumably Shakespeare). There was one bouquet of flowers, a shoebox and one hell of a parcel that dominated the gift table. It was rather thin, maybe 2 inches deep, about 40x40 inches in dimension and neatly wrapped in dark blue paper. Mike tried to spot the name but couldn’t find it without being too obvious, so he left the room and waited impatiently for 3 pm to come.

Working deemed pretty much impossible that morning, he was so nervous that he dropped his highlighter more than once and mixed up everyone’s phone extension.

“Christ, Mike, for a guy with such a brilliant memory, you surely have some issues putting it to use sometimes,” Kyle whined when he had called him for the third time while actually wanting to talk to Donna.

“At least I remember my girlfriend’s birthday which was…”

“Shit! Last week, that explains so much!”

Mike chuckled and hung up, waving in Kyle’s direction across the room, when an overly excited Donna made her way through the office wearing her Christmas hat and ringing a bell cheerfully, “Ladies and gentleman! Guess what? Santa’s been here! And even though I know from reliable sources that you’ve all been naughty, he couldn’t break your little hearts by showing up empty-handed. Soooo, without further ado, let the festive season begin…” 

Mike’s colleagues were cheering and he couldn’t waste much thought on the fact that Donna was the mistress of ceremony and not Jessica (what the hell?! Well, maybe it used to be a secretary tradition that spread through the entire company? What did he know about company dynamics, the only proper job he had ever had had been biking through town and delivering files…). Before he knew it, the first gifts were exchanged.

Nobody opened their envelopes and parcels straight away which was a bit of a disappointment. On one hand because Mike was a naturally very nosy person. On the other hand he felt so relieved - that way no-one would get to see Harvey opening that envelope. When Donna took the biggest gift, everyone raised their eyebrows and Mike regretted even more that he would not see the expression on the giftee’s face. He so wanted to be there to witness it! “Now from sheer size alone - and we all know that size does matter, even if certain people pretend it doesn’t - we definitely have a winner. Drum rolls, please…”

A dozen index fingers were banged against any nearest surface. Donna proclaimed excitedly, “And the winner is…. Mike Ross!”

Mike gasped. WHAT? What the hell? Who would get him something this big? He just hoped it wasn’t a framed giant image of Louis’ cat…

“Since we will all die a slow and agonizing death if we don’t learn what the gift is, we would kindly ask you to open it here. And now!”

Mike wasn’t sure it was such a great idea but he knew that he’d never hear the end of it anyway, even if he insisted on opening it later, so he quickly tore off the nice paper - yeah, patience would never be his strongest suit.

“Fucking hell…” he blurted out when he grasped what he held in his hands. Whoever had drawn his name had acquired all existing eight different vinyl covers of Arcade Fire’s “Suburb” album and arranged it in a picture frame in a square. It looked absolutely tasteful and stunning.

 

 

When Arcade Fire had the album, Mike had considered hunting all those records all down himself but then his grandmother had been feeling worse and Trevor had dragged him down and he had never gotten round doing that. He had only ever told one person about that. Months ago. When they had celebrated a merger and been drunk. 

Mike carefully looked up and gnawed his lip, feeling overwhelmed with emotion and very self-conscious about the gift he had prepared for Harvey. If this meant what he thought it might, it would go well. But did it? It had to, right? Harvey leaned laid-back against the wall with his hands in his pockets, looked right at him and just shrugged ever so slightly.

“That looks fantastic, what is that?” Donna asked and made Mike turn the frame and show it to everyone, “That, my friends, is the best band in the universe and whoever gifted this to me has fantastic taste.”

“Oh, the ones with the dreadful Christmas song!” Donna remembered and shook her head in disapproval, waving her right index finger warningly at everyone who would pay attention, “Don’t listen to it, guys, it’s something that you’ll never be able to forget!” 

Mike laughed and grinned all over his face, “I really don’t care, you are just ignorant and I received the perfect gift.” One that had obviously exceeded the limit because Harvey could have never found all these albums in such a short period on a bargain. In addition, they came in a really nice frame.

Donna continued her task and when she handed the envelope to Harvey, Mike couldn’t stop himself from grinning, being the worst Secret Santa. He was just incredibly happy about the outcome of today’s events. This could work out. It really, truly could!

***

Harvey had a hard time remembering the last time he had felt such a burden lifted off his shoulders. Mike liked his gift - more than that, he was ecstatic. He was even more cute than usual when he turned into such a fanboy. Had he come up with the idea for the gift any sooner, he would have sent the frame to the band and asked for an autograph on it but maybe it was better this way - it looked very stylish, almost like something he would put up in his own apartment. A signature would just have ruined the aesthetic appeal (even though Mike most likely would beg to differ…). 

He walked back into his office and put the envelope on the table, replaying Mike’s reaction in front of his inner eye, grinning contently to himself. Yes, he had landed this one. He was pleased. Maybe this wasn’t quite a fancy dinner but then again Mike wasn’t the type for that, this didn’t say “I love you” but it didn’t miss the point of “I’ve been listening to the stories you’ve told me, even though I always claim that I don’t give a damn about people because caring is weakness”.

For a minute, he forgot about the envelope on his desk. If he was honest, he couldn’t care less, his best gift had been Mike’s knowing glance in his direction. Who was he kidding? He was so head over heels for that man that even a blind man would be able to see it.

“You’re insane, Harvey,” Mike exclaimed as he suddenly walked into his office, “You know that? You were definitely bending the rules…”

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll make you work off the extra money,” Harvey smiled and tried to fight the emotions that were bubbling right below the surface. Usually, he was such a great poker player but Mike seriously threw him off his game, “Glad you liked it…”

“Liked? I love it! I can’t believe you remembered…” Mike threw himself on the chair opposite Harvey and pointed out, “You didn’t strike me as a Secret Santa guy, how come you joined?”

“Oh, there’s something in the unofficial rules somewhere that states it’s obligatory as a partner to take part in activities like this one to show your support and appreciation of the staff,“ he scoffed, making crystal clear what he thought of that little unofficial office law.

“Well, I’m glad you did. I can’t remember the last time I received such a thoughtful gift…” From the look and sound of it, Mike couldn’t remember the last proper Christmas gift he had received at all. Harvey imagined that living with his grandma, Mike had been showered with a lot of love and care but they never had much money, so Harvey guessed that he probably had found a lot of jumpers and warm clothes under the Christmas tree, new shoes, schoolbooks and things like that.

“Don’t mention it…”

“Have you opened yours?” Mike asked now, not able to hide his curiosity.

“No, not yet… it looks like a voucher for a department store,” Harvey shrugged and picked up the envelope. He squinted his eyes together, “Although… come to think of it… I think I might recognize that crappy handwriting…” His smile turned into a proper grin, “Oh Donna, you sneaky, sneaky subject…”

“What do you mean…?” Mike asked confused, not able to follow his line of thoughts for a change.

“Never mind…” Harvey chuckled softly and opened the envelope. It contained a postcard of Fidel Castro. Harvey tilted his head in surprise, “What the…” He turned it over and read,

_“Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas!!!  
A little bird has told me that the person holding this postcard (unless someone stole it, then give it back, for Rudolph’s sake!) is in urgent need of a holiday. He dreams of beaches and sun, cocktails and fun - and guess what? It’s his lucky day. He doesn’t even have to hop on an expensive plane that would have exceeded the spending limit, oh no. All he needs to do is hand the keys to his apartment to my little helper going by the name of Mike Ross and Cuba will come to him. Will he accept the offer? I’m just as curious as my little helper.  
Enthusiastically, Santa Claus”_

Mike shifted a little nervously in his chair - a sight Harvey bathed in for a second because he enjoyed it that much. Then he let him out his misery, dropped the poker face and tilted his head, “So Santa needs my keys?” 

“He does indeed but since he’s indisposed, he asked me to handle his business for the time being. Is that alright with you?” Mike smirked boyishly and fidgeted with his hands. 

“When exactly does he plan his little invasion?” 

“Well, Christmas obviously…”

“You want to spend Christmas with me,” That wasn’t a question. Harvey was suddenly overwhelmed by feelings he had hidden for way too long - and one of them was a longing to not spend the festive season on his own. He had suppressed it so vehemently that it took him completely by surprise but he wouldn’t be Harvey Specter if he didn’t have all walls up in place immediately, making him sound more amused than emotional.

Mike shrugged and replied a little less sure, “You’re on your own… I’m on my own… I thought it would be nice.”

“It is nice, Mike,” Harvey quickly replied with a warm voice, “Very nice. I’m looking forward to whatever it is you have planned. So what’s the deal? I just leave my place and return at some point and you’ll have everything set up? Do I need to dress up or anything?”

Mike smiled and relaxed visibly, being the bubbly, boyish man with those enthusiastic beaming eyes that always drew Harvey in like a magnet. He got to his feet and replied contently, “That’s exactly how it works. I need… an hour, I think. That should be enough. If you want to, you can always dress up in a Hawaiian shirt… it might get a little cold though…”

“Hawaii shirt? Are you fucking kidding me? I don’t own such thing…”

“Oh, I could borrow you one,” Mike chuckled and winked at Harvey. Something between them had shifted, Harvey couldn’t quite put his finger on it yet but it was obvious. Maybe Donna wasn’t as bad a matchmaker as he had always thought… 

“Not a chance. Now get back to work,” Harvey opened the drawer on his desk and pulled out a spare set of keys that had been sitting there forever. He threw it in Mike’s direction, “There you go, kid. But no parties when daddy is working!” 

Mike wrinkled his nose, “Daddy? Oh God, I need to get out of here…” He winked once again, put the keys in his pocket and left the room, humming a tune from Buena Vista Social Club.


	5. Chapter 5

Mike looked around and liked what he saw. He had spent the morning with his grandmother. They had eaten Christmas cookies and talked about their everyday lives. Of course she’d noticed that something was up, that he was nervous, so he had let her in on his plan. Grammy had encouraged him to do everything exactly as planned and called him a hopeless romantic who’d undoubtedly win Harvey’s heart over. And now here he was, putting his plan into action. 

The rented palm trees framed the balcony; fairy lights were attached to the railings and the trees. Mike had put up two deck chairs, a bonfire in a metal bowl that gave off enough warmth for at least one corner of the setting. He had a ghetto blaster with a mixed tape of Cuban music and another small box he could attach to his phone to stream the sound of waves. Harvey wasn’t the cheesy kind of guy but he hoped he’d like this. 

Mike actually purchased a dark blue long-sleeve Hawaii shirt with white palm trees, which he wore in combination with a new pair of beige pants. To complete his holiday look, had draped sunglasses in his hair. He hoped Harvey wouldn’t find this entirely cheap but something told him that they would be okay. More than okay hopefully…

His phone rang and he saw that it was Harvey, so he quickly answered, “Yes, you may come up, I’m done.”

Harvey grinned, “Maybe I wanted to tell you that I’m working over-hours after all?”

“No, you’re not; your plane is on time…” Mike replied excitedly and bit his bottom lip to stop his face from splitting in two.

“You’re right; I’m about to land…” Harvey played along and the elevator came up to the flat. It was happening. Moment of the truth.

When the door opened, Mike held up the cocktails he had prepared, “Welcome to Cuba, I hope you’ll have a pleasant stay.”

Harvey looked stunning. He had changed into a black shirt that he had unbuttoned slightly at the neck, revealing his perfectly toned skin. He put the coat, which he had taken off on the elevator, away and stepped into the flat. Harvey’s black trousers were quite a bit tighter than those he wore during the day and Mike admired the view. 

“I have no doubt I will. Merry Christmas,” Harvey tilted his head flirtily and flashed that handsome smile that made Mike’s legs go weak. He handed the cocktail over in a state of trance and clinked his glass against Harvey’s.

“Merry Christmas,” Mike almost whispered. He sucked on the straw and took a sip of the Cuba Libre, never breaking eye contact. 

“It’s a little weird coming to my own place and feeling like the guest,” Harvey admitted.

“Oh, don’t worry; you’ll forget where you are in a second…” Mike promised and nodded towards the balcony, “Follow me…”

When they got outside, Mike started both the music and the sound of waves and he heard Harvey gasp quietly. YES, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Mike’s heart made a couple of somersaults before he turned around and faced Harvey, “You like it?” 

“It’s a little Peter Burke but yes, I like it…” 

“If I’m Peter Burke, that would make you….”

“Elizabeth. I’m well aware of that…” Harvey grinned and looked around in amazement, sipping on his drink. 

“I thought I could shamelessly steal from that show because I was so sure you’d never even heard of ‘White Collar’ - apart from in the job context…” Mike replied cheekily and took a step closer to Harvey who was admiring the palm trees right now. 

“I’m glad you’re here, you know? I didn’t like the idea of you sitting in your flat, drinking beer and eating pizza all by yourself.”

“Oh, does that mean you care?” Mike mocked him.

“Ssssh…” Harvey suddenly replied, took the glass out of Mike’s hand and put them both on the floor next to the deck chairs. His face was lit by the fire right next to them and he was just so fucking perfect that Mike didn’t even consider resisting. Harvey ran his hand along Mike’s upper arm as he moved a little closer, sending shivers down his spine. 

“You know, I’ve pictured kissing you many, many times over the past few months but I never thought you’d be wearing a Hawaiian shirt…” Harvey remarked jokingly and as his hot breath hit Mike’s face, the last bit of doubt vanished in thin air. He leaned closer and kissed him gently. 

Mike closed his eyes and took in the moment. He felt a couple of snowflakes tumbling down from the sky, destroying his perfect little rendition of a Cuban balcony but he couldn’t care less. This was just absolutely perfect. Somewhere very far away, he could hear a car honking, a Cuban band sang a lot closer by and he intensified the kiss while shifting softly to the sound of the music, gently guiding Harvey forward until the back of his feet hit one of the deck chairs. 

They both stumbled and sank down onto it, Harvey lying on his back, Mike right on top of him, kissing each other until they had to come up for air. Mike hummed contently and looked straight into Harvey’s eyes, “I think you needed this holiday quite badly…”

“I have a feeling that so did you,” Harvey replied and shook his head in disbelief. They both could hardly grasp what was happening to them but it was perfect.

“And here we are, witnessing snow in Cuba…” Mike grinned against his lips and pecked him again. 

“I can cross that off my bucket list then,” Harvey replied before he chuckled silently, “not that I have one…”

Mike slid a bit to the side and snuggled up against Harvey, wrapping his arm around his torso, admitting, “This is the best Christmas I’ve ever had…” He stared up at the sky and watched the snowflakes fall down on them. He reached for the blanket he had stored under the deck chair and wrapped it around their bodies, before he kissed Harvey again.

“Ditto. Hey… I was thinking… Tomorrow is still Christmas and even if my return flight from Cuba leaves tonight… How about I take you to New York with me. I could cook us some nice dinner and then we’ll watch Die Hard.”

Mike beamed like a child - at Christmas. He couldn’t believe his luck and hoped nobody would pinch to wake him up anytime soon. “That sounds fantastic! I’m sure that they will find a space for me on that plane. If everything fails, I’ll just travel in your suitcase.”

“Deal! I already know what I’ll cook,” Harvey grinned all over his face.

“Oh yeah?” 

“Have you ever had filet mignon?”


End file.
